Female Pilgrimage in the Late Middle Ages
‘Whan tyme cam that this creatur schuld vysiten tho holy placys wher owyr Lord was whyk and dead.’[1]
Upper words are attributed to Margery Kempe. One of the female pilgrims to the Holy Land in the late Middle Ages. A woman who has been praised for her courage and persistence in going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journeys, including the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, have been written down in The book of Margery Kempe, which has been viewed of as one of the first English autobiographies.[2] There has been a vivid debate among historians on the presence of women during the pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. A debate in which some historians negate the participation of women, like S.J.G. Brefeld. Others, though, reject this point of view and state that there is enough evidence on which one could conclude that women were active as pilgrims during the pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Leigh Ann Craig, associate professor at Ohio University, sees enough evidence for the presence of female pilgrims. In her view there has been a lack of examining those indications which constitute the participation of women. ‘many scholars of pilgrimage have simply noted women’s presence on such journeys without fully examining their experiences.’[3] How are then the experiences of women during the pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages? The experiences of women can be examined by looking at case studies, like the story of Margery Kempe. Kempe has visited the Holy Land during the Late Middle Ages, one of the most prominent places in Christianity. Kempe can be seen as representative for female pilgrims, ‘the text divulges not the revelations of a recluse but the experience of a married woman, housewife and mother, who in the face of every difficulty feels herself drawn to 'entren the wey o hy perfeccyon'.’[4] How were the conditions for female pilgrims during the Late Middle Ages when visiting the Holy Land? I have researched this by applying the theoretical frame of Network Theory
Pilgrimage
In the Late Middle Ages pilgrimages are blooming. This has to do with the improving possibilities for Late Middle Ages to travel abroad. Due to urbanization people have moved from the countryside to the cities. This contributes to an improving of trade and the trade routes have been improved. Much of the pilgrims traveled over those trade routes. The urbanization also contributes to a feeling of uncertainty and people are looking for ways of overcoming this uncertainty by immersing themselves into religion. In the Late Middle Ages in Christianity there was the concept of salvation and purgatory after life. One could avoid or ease its years in the purgatory by being a good worshiper in earthly life. In pilgrimage people found the possibility of salvation by traveling to the holy places in Christianity. Jerusalem is one of those prominent places in Christianity and it was a common destination for a lot of pilgrims. Urbanization and the improvement of trade also provided more expenses for an undertaking like pilgrimage. In the Late Middle Ages a lot of traveling guides have been circulating, this also made the undertaking of a pilgrimage more available to a lot of people.
Female pilgrims
Female pilgrims encountered much negative responses to their undertaking. This had to do with society structures in the Late Middle Ages. Women should not be on pilgrimage for it was of no use to them, according to a lot of men. ‘In vowing herself to God, a woman was making what many regarded as an especially superhuman effort to overcome the specific frailties of her nature. That she was, if let loose, a danger both to herself and to others was axiomatic.’[5] Women had to deal with many obstacles, like the negative responses to their journey. Furthermore women had , due to their social position in male-structured society, to be permitted by their husband, brother or father for their journey. Even when a woman was in the position of travelling she had to face even more obstacles ‘The women, housed in separate cabins, were not admitted to the common table.’ [6] A lot of women were dressed as inconspiculously as possible and were travelling in companies for their own safety.
Margery Kempe
The case study of Margery Kempe explains us the experiences of Margery Kempe, as representative for female pilgrims. Margery Kempe has build up a social network during her journey to Jerusalem. She travels with a company. This company also includes her own maid. One of her travel companions has the responsibility to take care of her money. This becomes apparent when the companions try to leave Margery behind. One of the companions who keeps her moneys leaves Margery some money and then they all go to bed, intending to leave the next morning. This person who keeps her money leaves Margery a little money, and takes all the rest for himself. This shows us that there are a few members of her company taking some kind of responsibility over Margery. This reveals a connection, both persons are connected to Margery for taking care of her in some way. It is also comes about distribution between Margery and her company, the company accompanies her, while she is a trouble to the company for all her weeping and talking of holiness. ‘When thei had etyn, the company mad great compleynt upon this creatur to the legate, and [ seyd] uttyrly sche schulde no lengar be in her company less than he wolde comawndyn hir to etyn flesch as thei dedyn and levyn hir wepyng and that sche schulde not speke so mech of holynes.’[7] The route Margery takes during her pilgrimage is not described in detail, for Margery is not so alert to her environmental circumstances. What has been described is a short route: Yarmouth, Zierikzee, Konstanz, Bologna, Venice, Jerusalem. Due to very little information about Margery’s journey itself, we cannot state much about the environmental factors. But we can gather information from her experiences. Especially the religious aspect has been very important to Margery, even more than her traveling company who abandoned her for some time during the journey. This mystical relationship of her with God has been put in the forefront in her work. According to the analysis of her work we can state that women were tolerated during the pilgrimages, but had to be in the background.
JMD
Upper words are attributed to Margery Kempe. One of the female pilgrims to the Holy Land in the late Middle Ages. A woman who has been praised for her courage and persistence in going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journeys, including the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, have been written down in The book of Margery Kempe, which has been viewed of as one of the first English autobiographies.[2] There has been a vivid debate among historians on the presence of women during the pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. A debate in which some historians negate the participation of women, like S.J.G. Brefeld. Others, though, reject this point of view and state that there is enough evidence on which one could conclude that women were active as pilgrims during the pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Leigh Ann Craig, associate professor at Ohio University, sees enough evidence for the presence of female pilgrims. In her view there has been a lack of examining those indications which constitute the participation of women. ‘many scholars of pilgrimage have simply noted women’s presence on such journeys without fully examining their experiences.’[3] How are then the experiences of women during the pilgrimages to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages? The experiences of women can be examined by looking at case studies, like the story of Margery Kempe. Kempe has visited the Holy Land during the Late Middle Ages, one of the most prominent places in Christianity. Kempe can be seen as representative for female pilgrims, ‘the text divulges not the revelations of a recluse but the experience of a married woman, housewife and mother, who in the face of every difficulty feels herself drawn to 'entren the wey o hy perfeccyon'.’[4] How were the conditions for female pilgrims during the Late Middle Ages when visiting the Holy Land? I have researched this by applying the theoretical frame of Network Theory
Pilgrimage
In the Late Middle Ages pilgrimages are blooming. This has to do with the improving possibilities for Late Middle Ages to travel abroad. Due to urbanization people have moved from the countryside to the cities. This contributes to an improving of trade and the trade routes have been improved. Much of the pilgrims traveled over those trade routes. The urbanization also contributes to a feeling of uncertainty and people are looking for ways of overcoming this uncertainty by immersing themselves into religion. In the Late Middle Ages in Christianity there was the concept of salvation and purgatory after life. One could avoid or ease its years in the purgatory by being a good worshiper in earthly life. In pilgrimage people found the possibility of salvation by traveling to the holy places in Christianity. Jerusalem is one of those prominent places in Christianity and it was a common destination for a lot of pilgrims. Urbanization and the improvement of trade also provided more expenses for an undertaking like pilgrimage. In the Late Middle Ages a lot of traveling guides have been circulating, this also made the undertaking of a pilgrimage more available to a lot of people.
Female pilgrims
Female pilgrims encountered much negative responses to their undertaking. This had to do with society structures in the Late Middle Ages. Women should not be on pilgrimage for it was of no use to them, according to a lot of men. ‘In vowing herself to God, a woman was making what many regarded as an especially superhuman effort to overcome the specific frailties of her nature. That she was, if let loose, a danger both to herself and to others was axiomatic.’[5] Women had to deal with many obstacles, like the negative responses to their journey. Furthermore women had , due to their social position in male-structured society, to be permitted by their husband, brother or father for their journey. Even when a woman was in the position of travelling she had to face even more obstacles ‘The women, housed in separate cabins, were not admitted to the common table.’ [6] A lot of women were dressed as inconspiculously as possible and were travelling in companies for their own safety.
Margery Kempe
The case study of Margery Kempe explains us the experiences of Margery Kempe, as representative for female pilgrims. Margery Kempe has build up a social network during her journey to Jerusalem. She travels with a company. This company also includes her own maid. One of her travel companions has the responsibility to take care of her money. This becomes apparent when the companions try to leave Margery behind. One of the companions who keeps her moneys leaves Margery some money and then they all go to bed, intending to leave the next morning. This person who keeps her money leaves Margery a little money, and takes all the rest for himself. This shows us that there are a few members of her company taking some kind of responsibility over Margery. This reveals a connection, both persons are connected to Margery for taking care of her in some way. It is also comes about distribution between Margery and her company, the company accompanies her, while she is a trouble to the company for all her weeping and talking of holiness. ‘When thei had etyn, the company mad great compleynt upon this creatur to the legate, and [ seyd] uttyrly sche schulde no lengar be in her company less than he wolde comawndyn hir to etyn flesch as thei dedyn and levyn hir wepyng and that sche schulde not speke so mech of holynes.’[7] The route Margery takes during her pilgrimage is not described in detail, for Margery is not so alert to her environmental circumstances. What has been described is a short route: Yarmouth, Zierikzee, Konstanz, Bologna, Venice, Jerusalem. Due to very little information about Margery’s journey itself, we cannot state much about the environmental factors. But we can gather information from her experiences. Especially the religious aspect has been very important to Margery, even more than her traveling company who abandoned her for some time during the journey. This mystical relationship of her with God has been put in the forefront in her work. According to the analysis of her work we can state that women were tolerated during the pilgrimages, but had to be in the background.
JMD
Further reading:
Breydenbach von, Bernard. Die Reise ins Heilige Land. Saarbrücken: Fines Mundi, 2008.
Brefeld, S.J.G. A Guidbook for the Jerusalem Pilgrimage in the Late Middle Ages: A Case for Computer-aided Textual Criticism. Hilversum: uitverij Verloren, 1994.
Campbell, Josie P. Popular Culture in the Middle Ages. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1986.
Chareyron, Nicole. Pilgrims to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages. New York: Colombia University Press, 2005.
Craig, Leigh Ann. Wandering Women and Holy Matrons: Women as Pilgrims in the Later Middle Ages. Reeks Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions, Volume 138. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2009.
Gaspar, R.J.A.A. Reis naar het midden van de wereld: Jacob Kreynck en Derk Vogel op bedevaart naar Jeruzalem in het jaar 1479. Dieren: Diepenmaat uitgeverij, 2005.
Sumption, Jonathan. Pilgrimage: an Image of Medieval Religion. London: Faber & Faber, 1975.
Van Herwaarden, Jan. Een profane pilgrimage naar de Middeleeuwen. Hilversum: uitgeverij Verloren, 2005.
Webb, Diana. Pilgrims and pilgrimage: in the medieval west. London. I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd, 1999.
Webb, Diana. Pilgrimage in Medieval England. London. Hambledon and London, 2000.
Whalen, Brett Edward. Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages: a Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2011.
Images
http://www.carlmccolman.com/mystics/kempe/
http://www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk/2013/23-pilgrims-way.htm
Breydenbach von, Bernard. Die Reise ins Heilige Land. Saarbrücken: Fines Mundi, 2008.
Brefeld, S.J.G. A Guidbook for the Jerusalem Pilgrimage in the Late Middle Ages: A Case for Computer-aided Textual Criticism. Hilversum: uitverij Verloren, 1994.
Campbell, Josie P. Popular Culture in the Middle Ages. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1986.
Chareyron, Nicole. Pilgrims to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages. New York: Colombia University Press, 2005.
Craig, Leigh Ann. Wandering Women and Holy Matrons: Women as Pilgrims in the Later Middle Ages. Reeks Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions, Volume 138. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2009.
Gaspar, R.J.A.A. Reis naar het midden van de wereld: Jacob Kreynck en Derk Vogel op bedevaart naar Jeruzalem in het jaar 1479. Dieren: Diepenmaat uitgeverij, 2005.
Sumption, Jonathan. Pilgrimage: an Image of Medieval Religion. London: Faber & Faber, 1975.
Van Herwaarden, Jan. Een profane pilgrimage naar de Middeleeuwen. Hilversum: uitgeverij Verloren, 2005.
Webb, Diana. Pilgrims and pilgrimage: in the medieval west. London. I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd, 1999.
Webb, Diana. Pilgrimage in Medieval England. London. Hambledon and London, 2000.
Whalen, Brett Edward. Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages: a Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2011.
Images
http://www.carlmccolman.com/mystics/kempe/
http://www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk/2013/23-pilgrims-way.htm
Citations
[1] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe, (London: Longman Annotated Texts, 2000), p. 149.
[2] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe, p. 1.
[3] Leigh Ann Craig. Wandering Women and Holy Matrons: Women as Pilgrims in the Later Middle Ages. Reeks Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions, Volume 138. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers. 2009. p. 155.
[4] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe,p. 1.
[5] Webb, Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in the Medieval West, p. 13. [6] Nicole Chareyron, Pilgrims to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages, (New York: Colombia University Press, 2005), p. 50.
[7] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe, p. 155.
[1] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe, (London: Longman Annotated Texts, 2000), p. 149.
[2] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe, p. 1.
[3] Leigh Ann Craig. Wandering Women and Holy Matrons: Women as Pilgrims in the Later Middle Ages. Reeks Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions, Volume 138. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers. 2009. p. 155.
[4] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe,p. 1.
[5] Webb, Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in the Medieval West, p. 13. [6] Nicole Chareyron, Pilgrims to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages, (New York: Colombia University Press, 2005), p. 50.
[7] Barry Windeatt ( ed ), The book of Margery Kempe, p. 155.